Opening 13 Aug 2009
Directed by:
Henry Selick
Writing credits:
Henry Selick, Neil Gaiman
Principal actors:
Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David
Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) is a bright young girl and seriously bored. Her parents, both self-employed, don’t have enough time for her. Feeling a bit neglected, Coraline starts to explore the pink villa they’ve just moved into and discovers a hidden door. Behind it, a tunnel leads to an alternative world. This other world is a lot like the world Coraline knows – only much more fun. Here, her “better” mom (voiced by Teri Hatcher) and dad have time to cook delicious meals and play with her. When Coraline seems almost ready to stay in this world for good, her “better” mother informs her that there is a little price to pay: Coraline must give up her eyes, which will then be replaced with buttons. Coraline refuses to make this deal and chooses her “old” life, but suddenly there seems to be no way back.
Based on best-selling author Neil Gaiman’s highly successful book and directed by Henry Selick, the animated film Coraline is visually stunning, hugely entertaining, and offers food for thought: “…sometimes the people who love you may not pay you all the attention you need; and, sometimes the people who do pay you attention may not love you in the healthiest way.” Neil Gaiman said about his story. Not only is Coraline the first stop-motion feature filmed in 3-D, it also happened to be my first 3-D movie experience, and having things come at me from the screen took getting used to. Although Coraline is rated PG in the US, I wouldn’t call this a kiddy movie, as it has dark and scary moments and is sometimes quite intense. In my opinion, parents would be well advised to find out more about the nightmare potential of Coraline before taking their kids to see it. (Christa Greiff)
